ISLAMABAD: The cabinet has decided to keep the ban on the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan in place, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry announced Tuesday.
In May, The Ministry of Interior forwarded a summary to the prime minister seeking approval of a committee to revisit the decision after the hardline group submitted an appeal, requesting it to revisit the decision to proscribe it under provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Addressing a press conference following a meeting of the cabinet, the minister said a report was presented before the cabinet by the committee which concluded that the decision to proscribe the group was based on merit since it was involved in the killing and torturing of policemen, and torching of public property.
Following the report, the cabinet decided to keep the proscription intact, the minister said, adding that the Ministry of Law was in contact with the Election Commission of Pakistan to get the group’s election symbol cancelled.
The government had proscribed the group in April this year after it paralysed swathes of the country with anti-France protests over the French government’s support for Charlie Hebdo — a satirical weekly best known for vulgar irreverence — to republish blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).
The decision was taken after thousands of its supporters and activists blocked major intersections in cities throughout the country and killed two police officers in violent clashes.
The group’s demands risked making Pakistan look like a “radical nation” to the outside world, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed told a news conference at the time.
During the week-long protests, TLP supporters brought several cities, including Lahore and Karachi, to a standstill igniting heavy street fighting and forcing authorities to cut mobile phone coverage in Islamabad and surrounding towns.
SPECIAL ALLOWANCE FOR ARMY:
Chaudhry said that during Tuesday’s meeting, the cabinet approved a 15 percent special allowance on running basic pay for Pakistan Army personnel. There had been no increase in the salaries of armed forces personnel for the last two years, he said.
“They [Pakistan Army] had frozen their salaries. On the civil side, discretionary allowances up to 25pc were given to Secretariat [employees] and a general allowance of 10pc was given to civil employees. To make it equal, special allowance of up to 25pc is being given [to Pakistan Army personnel] after two years.”
Chaudhry said the special allowances were not being given to Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel for now but the prime minister said “discussion should be done to include them.” Therefore, officials from the interior ministry and the finance ministry would hold meetings and it was expected that the salaries of Rangers and FC personnel would also be increased, he added.
The minister said that the government was “very concerned” about the worsening situation in Afghanistan and was making efforts to ensure that a situation was not created in which Afghans would have to leave their homes.
He said that the global community should “stand with Pakistan” instead of simply predicting the number of Afghan refugees. Chaudhry said Pakistan was observing the situation in Afghanistan and “full efforts” were being made to learn from past experiences and form a policy.
“This isn’t only the responsibility of Pakistan but of the whole world,” he said. “You cannot only come and [destroy] the country and then say [Pakistan can deal with it]. The international community and countries should fulfill their responsibilities. Pakistan’s full effort is [geared towards ensuring] peace in Afghanistan.”
Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed a “lot of concern” over encroachments on Islamabad’s green areas and had directed the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy to remove their walls/other security arrangements from the green areas as well.
“They have started acting on it. When institutions like the air force and navy do not have that permission, there is no question that anybody else will be given permission” to build on green areas, he stressed, adding that the federal cabinet has instructed the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to make Islamabad an “encroachment-free city”.
During the meeting, the prime minister said the government’s plantation campaign this monsoon season would be the “biggest in Pakistan’s history” in which 50 million trees would be planted. He also directed all ministers to participate in the plantation campaign, Chaudhry shared.
The federal government also approved a three-day holiday for Eidul Azha starting from July 20, he said.
A report on security protocols would be presented to the prime minister next week after which “standards will be reviewed and security rationalised,” he added.
